Statistics Show American Education Has Declined.

Over the last century, American education has declined significantly despite spending per student by the federal, state, and local governments increasing dramatically which has contributed to the United States’ current fall from the top of the world mountain.

While education spending has increased greatly from what it had been in the middle of the century, proficiency in core subjects has dropped as an abysmal eighteen percent of fourth graders are proficient in history, 30% are proficient in science, 30% are proficient in math, and just 31% are proficient in reading.

The decline in education appears to be worse as the grade level gets higher with average SAT scores dropping from over 540 in 1964 to below 510 today despite spending per student having risen from under $3,000 per year to more than $8,000 per year.

Other countries, even third world countries, are ahead of the United States in world rankings as in a survey of 21 countries that included everyone from Spain to Hungary to Jordan had the United States place fifteenth overall.

Why American Education Has Declined: Spending

What the education decline shows is a sharp rise in government funding for education coinciding with a sharper drop in proficiency in the basic subjects.

A more recent study showed that around 2% percent of students are advanced in science, in the fourth grade, while around 20% are proficient while as many kids have a basic understanding of science as those who are below basic.

Around eighteen percent of fourth grade students are proficient in history with around thirty percent of students labeled as proficient in math and reading.

Why American Education Has Declined: SAT Scores

Once students are more advanced and are in the eleventh or twelfth grade, their progress despite increased government funding does not get any better.

In 1964, the average high schooler’s SAT score was over 540 points with the government spending less than three thousand dollars annually per student.

In ten years, government spending neared five thousand dollars per student while SAT scores plummeted to around 505 points.

In 1980, government funding had hit over five thousand dollars per pupil while SAT scores dropped to their all time low at below 500 points.

By 1985, SAT score went up a little to 505 while government funding went up to six thousand dollars.

While government funding continues to rise to ten thousand dollars per student, SAT scores continue to hover around 510 points.

Why American Education Has Declined: World Rankings

In one survey of education in twenty-one different countries, the United States placed fifteenth, finishing behind China, England, Hungary, France, Israel, Italy, and Canada and tied with Spain.

The only countries that the United States beat out in the rankings were Portugal, Jordan, Brazil, and Mozambique.

In another survey that ranked the International Student Math Assessment of fifteen year olds among thirty four nations, the United States placed twenty-ninth.

Finishing well ahead of the United States were China, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Canada, Austria, Poland, and Latvia.

The only nations to place behind the United States were Italy, Portugal, Greece, Mexco, and Turkey.